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This week sees the return of the NFL season, commencing with the Denver Broncos taking on the Carolina Panthers in the eagerly anticipated Super Bowl rematch.
The NFL is seeing continued strong growth in Australian support, spiking last year with Jarryd Hayne winning a roster spot with the San Francisco 49ers.
This support is perhaps not surprising among rugby league fans. As a sport, American football shares many similarities with rugby league. They both essentially evolved from early forms of rugby, they both implement structured forms of play with potentially finite sets of tackles, they both see an emphasis on strength and speed and they both increasingly rely on key players to dictate attack.
Yet the similarities are perhaps even more striking off the field. Both games have shown a necessity to change as circumstances change – whether to address changing playing/coaching strategies, changing player welfare concerns, and changing consumer demands for a TV product that keeps growing in popularity.
With this in mind, here are five NFL concepts the NRL could do well to consider implementing.
16-game regular season
Not only do NRL players play an extra eight regular season matches (excluding byes and finals/playoffs), many add in representative duties which further extend the physical impact on players whose livelihoods depend on their health.
Player fatigue among NRL players is a real concern and the shorter season would be welcome relief. While many argue that this would reduce the broadcast value of the game, the NFL has shown that less can be more.
Every game of the season counts, and broadcasters make more money from analysis and pre-season broadcasts as fans have an increased emotional buy-in with the scarcity of games.
Player draft
The NFL Draft has been spectacularly successful in helping maintain balance among teams, with weaker teams getting first pick of new players declaring for the draft. Player drafts have seen similar success in not only other US sports, but also locally with the AFL.
While the ARL (the predecessor to the NRL) tried and failed to implement a draft in the 90s, it is time for the NRL to reconsider.
Coach/captain’s challenge
The NFL allows a team’s head coaches to challenge two official calls per match. This is similar to the Captain’s Challenge concept trialled in Round 26 of the NRL season.
The benefit of having a Coach Challenge is that it brings the coaches into the game more – imagine Des Hasler or Ricky Stuart having to directly interact with a referee to challenge a contentious ruling – which further adds to the drama of the game.
In either case, it allows the aggrieved players or coaches further certainty that the correct decision has been made, and has proven a success in the US.
Unsportsmanlike conduct charge
With the crackdown on punching and fighting in the NRL, there has been a trend towards players knowing they can get away with excessively taunting an opponent without the risk of wearing an uppercut on the chin – we’re looking at you Michael Ennis!
The NFL’s ‘Unsportsmanlike Conduct’ penalty addresses such concerns. Sledging or ‘trash talking” is still present, but the officials are able to penalise any taunting which oversteps the mark.
Weighted penalties
NFL penalties vary depending on the charge. A technical offside penalty attracts a five-yard penalty, while an illegal hit on the quarterback incurs a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down.
On the flip side, rugby league penalises a spear tackle the same way it penalises a contentious play the ball decision. With penalties having more and more impact on game outcomes, the NRL should consider ‘short arm’ penalties for minor infringements where a restart of the tackle count is sufficient.
All of the above suggestions would no doubt be met with resistance from different stakeholders. But it is also clear that the NRL’s willingness to implement change is what keeps it moving forward with fan engagement – good and bad – as it continues to break ratings and membership records. Embrace the debate!
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